Throughout this specification, when discussing the application of this invention to the aorta or other blood vessels, the term “distal”, with respect to a prosthesis, is intended to refer to a location that is, or a portion of the prosthesis that when implanted is, further downstream with respect to blood flow; the term “distally” means in the direction of blood flow or further downstream. The term “proximal” is intended to refer to a location that is, or a portion of the prosthesis that when implanted is, further upstream with respect to blood flow; the term “proximally” means in the direction opposite to the direction of blood flow or further upstream.
The functional vessels of human and animal bodies, such as blood vessels and ducts, occasionally weaken or even rupture. For example, the aortic wall can weaken, resulting in an aneurysm. Upon further exposure to hemodynamic forces, such an aneurysm can rupture. In Western European and Australian men who are between 60 and 75 years of age, aortic aneurysms greater than 29 mm in diameter are found in 6.9% of the population, and those greater than 40 mm are present in 1.8% of the population.
One surgical intervention for weakened, aneurismal, or ruptured vessels involves the use of a prosthetic device to provide some or all of the functionality of the original, healthy vessel, and/or preserve any remaining vascular integrity by replacing a length of the existing vessel wall that spans the site of vessel failure.
It is preferable that these prostheses seal off the failed portion of the vessel. For weakened or aneurysmal vessels, even a small leak in the prosthesis may lead to the pressurization of, or flow in, the treated vessel which aggravates the condition the prosthesis was intended to treat. A prosthesis of this type can, for example, treat aneurysms of the abdominal aortic, iliac, or branch vessels such as the renal arteries.
A prosthetic device can be of a unitary construction or be comprised of multiple prosthetic modules. A modular prosthesis allows a surgeon to accommodate a wide variation in vessel morphology while reducing the necessary inventory of differently sized prostheses. For example, aortas vary in length, diameter, and angulation between the renal artery region and the region of the aortic bifurcation. Prosthetic modules that fit each of these variables can be assembled to form a prosthesis, obviating the need for a custom prosthesis or large inventories of prostheses that accommodate all possible combinations of these variables. A modular system may also accommodate deployment options by allowing the proper placement of one module before the implantation of an adjoining module.
Modular systems are typically assembled in situ by overlapping the tubular ends of the prosthetic modules so that the end of one module sits partially inside the other module, preferably forming circumferential apposition through the overlap region. This attachment process is called “tromboning.” The connections between prosthetic modules are typically maintained by the friction forces at the overlap region and enhanced by the radial force exerted by the internal prosthetic module on the external prosthetic modules where the two overlap. The fit may be further enhanced by stents fixed to the modules at the overlap region.
A length of a vessel which may be treated by these prostheses may have one or more branch vessels, i.e. vessels anastomosed to the main vessel. The celiac, superior mesenteric, left common carotid, and renal arteries, for example, are branch vessels of the aorta; the hypogastric artery is a branch vessel of the common iliac artery. If these branch vessels are blocked by the prosthesis, the original blood circulation is impeded and the patient can suffer. If, for example, the celiac artery is blocked by the prosthesis, the patient can experience abdominal pain, weight loss, nausea, bloating, and loose stools associated with mesenteric ischemia. The blockage of any branch vessel is usually associated with unpleasant or even life-threatening symptoms.
When treating a vessel with a prosthetic device, it is therefore preferable to preserve the original circulation by providing a prosthetic branch that extends from the prosthesis to a branch vessel so that the blood flow into the branch vessel is not impeded. For example, the aortic section of the ZENITH® abdominal aortic prosthesis (Cook, Inc., Bloomington, Ind.), described below, can be designed to extend above the renal arteries and to have prosthetic branches that extend into the renal arteries. Alternatively, the iliac branches of the ZENITH® device can be designed to extend into the corresponding hypogastric arteries. Branch extension prosthetic modules (“branch extensions”) can form a tromboning connection to the prosthetic branch to complete the prosthesis. Furthermore, some aneurysms extend into the branch vessels. Deploying prosthetic branches and branch extensions into these vessels may help prevent expansion and/or rupture of these aneurysms. High morbidity and mortality rates are associated with these aneurysms.
Aortic arch stent grafts are used in treating dissection and aneurismal dilation of the aortic arch. Many of these grafts have branches that maintain the patency of the branch arteries originating in the arch (the innominate, left common carotid, and left subclavian arteries) and help direct the flow of blood into the branch arteries. Many of these branched grafts have branches that project outward from the prosthesis. Implanting the stent grafts in the branch arteries provides a challenge to surgeons because of the anatomic features of the aortic arch. Blood flow from the branch arteries must not be interrupted for an extending length of time because they supply blood to the brain. Implanting branch stents that mate with the branches presents challenges because the natural orientation of the aortic arch must be matched or simulated by the stent grafts.
A surgeon may access the aortic arch through the branch arteries to implant small vessel stents. Guide wires are used to link the small vessel stents in the branch arteries with the branches of the aortic arch stent. However, much time may be lost in threading the guide wires through the openings of the aortic arch stent branches and through the branch arteries. A surgeon will often manipulate the guide wire around the difficult angles in the aortic arch stent channels before being able to connect with the delivery catheter of the branched stent.